"John Addington Symonds (1840-93) ranks with Ruskin and Pater as a leading exponent of the Renaissance and a major arbiter of British and American taste. His translations and essays, his seven-volume Renaissance in Italy, and his Life of Michelangelo established themselves as cardinal texts in the canon of 'culture'. He was also a conspicuous poet, thought much of his verse remained unpublished because of its homosexual content.".

"These essays explore the content and context of Symonds's life and work, and mark a further stage in the reassessment of an important figure."--BOOK JACKET.